When you have a free product or service with high amounts of traffic, platform advertisers become interested in subsidizing your free product or service by paying you a fee to share their advertisements. Free products generate high platform traffic and increase the attractiveness of your platform to advertisers. Freemium users get basic functionality for free. […]
Free as a Business Model Read More »
When it comes to designing a longform sales page, there are three basic types of consumers of internet content: Skimmers, Scanners, and Readers. Appeal to each type with different design elements.
How to Write a Longform Sales Page Read More »
A business associate of mine, Ken Jaray, is an Angel investor and earned his personal fortune as a very successful trial lawyer. When I asked him what was the most significant factor that contributed to his phenomenal success in the courtroom, he replied that it was his ability to connect to the jury on a
Connecting With Your Audience Read More »
When completing a Business Model Canvas, it is helpful to guide the discussion through the use of questions. When it comes to looking at macroeconomic forces that will affect your business model, the following set of questions should help you in thinking more critically about your business model. These questions are broken into four categories:
Critical Thinking About Macroeconomic Forces Read More »
When completing a Business Model Canvas, it is helpful to guide the discussion through the use of questions. When it comes to looking at industry forces that will affect your business model, the following set of questions should help you in thinking more critically about your business model. These questions are broken into three categories:
Critical Thinking About Industry Forces Read More »
When completing a Business Model Canvas, it is helpful to guide the discussion through the use of questions. When it comes to looking at key trends that will affect your business model, the following set of questions should help you in thinking more critically about your business model. These questions are broken into four trends:
Critical Thinking About Key Trends Read More »
When completing a Business Model Canvas, it is helpful to guide the discussion through the use of questions. When it comes to looking at market forces that will affect your business model, the following set of questions should help you in thinking more critically about your business model. These questions are broken down into five
Critical Thinking About Market Forces Read More »
When it comes revenue streams, they are generally either “transactional,” resulting from a one-time payment, or “recurring,” resulting from ongoing payments that deliver value or provide post-sales support. When it comes to defining a business’s revenue streams, I find it helpful to consider a list of different types of revenue streams to guide me and
Choosing a Revenue Stream Read More »
The type of customer relationship that is right for your business depends on your customer acquisition costs, customer retention goals, and need to up-sell the customer on an add-on or related products in the future.
Choosing a Customer Relationship Type Read More »
When considering your unique value proposition, I find it helpful to consider a list of common value propositions to help guide me and my client’s thinking. To that end, here are eleven common value propositions that businesses might offer to their selected customer segment. Review the following value proposition types and determine which one is
Choosing a Value Proposition Type Read More »
The first step for a new business or an existing business coming out with a new product line is to define the customer segment they are targeting. During the early stages of the process, I recommend starting out with a broad definition of the customer segment. The following is a list of five common customer
Choosing a Customer Segment Type Read More »
There are many lessons business owners can learn from Howard Schultz and the Starbucks story.
6 Business Lesson from Howard Schultz – Starbuck’s Secret Sauce Read More »
Mickey Drexler hates emails and memos but loves to communicate face to face or over the phone. He prefers personal interactions so he can be sure that others are listening to him. When Drexler was hired as the new president of Gap Inc’s Stores Division in 1983, his first order of business was to fire
Business Lessons from Mickey Drexler – Open Communications Is More than a Slogan Read More »
Most Americans get up, go to work, turn in an average days work effort, return home, sit on the couch to watch TV, and wonder why they are relegated to a life of financial struggle. They hate their boss and speak publicly about how businesses are greedy and take advantage of workers. They buy lottery
Most Entrepreneurs Fail Because They Chase Too Many Goals. Learn Why Focusing on One Target Can Be the Most Powerful Business Strategy You Ever Adopt.
Why Successful Entrepreneurs Focus on One Goal and You Should Too Read More »
Disruptive innovation is not about the next new product as much as it is about transforming an existing market from being expensive and complex to affordable and accessible. A disruptive innovation is more about targeting a high profit/low margin business and creating a high volume/low margin alternative. For example, it is very expensive to take
What Is Disruptive Innovation? Read More »
Some would say that Google has a monopoly on the search engine market with over 2/3 of all search traffic. Microsoft’s Bing is a distant number two with less than 1/5 of the search engine market. Is Google a monopoly that needs to be busted up like AT&T or Standard Oil for the good of
Monopoly Is a Matter of Perspective Read More »
Many Believe Bigger Boards Are Better, but Small, Focused Boards Often Provide Better Oversight and Real Leadership. Discover Why Less Can Truly Be More.
The Surprising Power of Small Boards in Business and Nonprofits Read More »
Traditionally, entrepreneurs had 2 options to raise funds to start their business. They could either get a loan or give away ownership to investors. Enter crowdfunding as a third option.
The Hidden Value of Crowdfunding Read More »
Automation Is Transforming U.S. Manufacturing, Opening New Opportunities For Entrepreneurs To Compete In Small-Batch, Custom Markets. Learn How You Can Benefit.
How Automation Is Reviving American Manufacturing: Are You Ready to Ride the Wave? Read More »
Tapping Into Cognitive Surplus Can Unleash Incredible Innovation. Learn How Skilled Professionals Are Fueling Open Source Projects—And How Your Business Can Benefit.
Tapping into Cognitive Surplus: How the Open Source Movement Is Changing the Game Read More »
More and more products can be produced and assembled by robotic assembly lines. Even services, such as those offered by CPAs and stock brokers, can now be performed by software tools or applications such as TurboTax or e-Trade. Recently, I read an article that said that with the threat of a monumental rise in the
The Robot/Application Arbitrage Read More »
Turning a hobby or a craft into a business often has a fatal flaw with scalability. Say you have a business that produces 100 units that you plan sell for $25 and it costs you $20 to produce it. As a small scale business, you are happy with a $5 profit on each piece since
How to Price Your Hobby and Craft Projects Read More »
The only parts that make it into the mainstream are parts that can be manufactured in the tens of thousands. These large batches then require complex distribution channels and warehousing of inventory that ties up precious capital. With small-scale 3D printers, laser cutters, and CNC machines, parts can be produced at the point of sale.
The Coming Cottage Manufacturing Revolution Read More »
The world of the entrepreneur has been blown wide open by 3D technology. If you have an object you need to reproduce, you can use a 3D scanner to replicate it. Don’t have one? No problem! Go to your public library or another location, such as a Makers Space. Don’t want to leave the house?
The New 3D World – Bits to Atoms Read More »
“The year was 1998 and eBay was little more than a glorified flea market with 6 million in sales,” recalls Meg Whitman when she became eBay’s CEO. Three years later eBay had $748 million in sales and 62 million registered users, becoming the envy of the dot-com world. Whitman attributes this growth to persistence and
The Meg Whitman School of Business Read More »
The questions you ask can produce different answers depending upon your viewpoint. Many centuries ago, there was a village in Europe that was hit by a strange plague. The plague caused the victim to fall into a deep coma that mimicked death. The coma was so deep that the doctors of the day couldn’t tell
Ask a Different Question to Get a New Viewpoint Read More »
Romance is one of four very powerful emotional appeals. Discover how using romance as an emotional appeal will cause people to unconsciously stop what they are doing and pay attention to your marketing message.
Romance Is A Powerful Emotional Appeal To Get Attention Read More »
Recognition one of four very powerful emotional appeals. Discover how using recognition as an emotional appeal will cause people to unconsciously stop what they are doing and pay attention to your marketing message.
Recognition Is A Powerful Emotional Appeal To Get Attention Read More »
Self-preservation is one of four very powerful emotional appeals. Discover how using self-preservation as an emotional appeal will cause people to unconsciously stop what they are doing and pay attention to your marketing message.
Self-Preservation Is A Powerful Emotional Appeal To Get Attention Read More »
Money is one of four very powerful emotional appeals. Discover how using money as an emotional appeal will cause people to unconsciously stop what they are doing and pay attention to your marketing message.
Money Is A Powerful Emotional Appeal To Get Attention Read More »
There is really only one way to break a persons preoccupation (without physical contact) and that is to appeal to their emotions. Emotional appeals come in four irresistible flavors: money, self protection, recognition, and romance.
Make People Stop And Pay Attention With Emotional Appeals Read More »
As Your Business Grows, The Strategies That Once Worked Might Be Holding You Back. Learn How To Identify And Replace Outdated Habits Before They Derail Your Progress.
Why What Got You Here Won’t Get You There (And What to Do About It) Read More »
When You Scale a Business Idea, It’s More Than Just Adding Resources—It’s About Redesigning the Entire Operation. Discover How Scaling Uncovers Hidden Complexities That Can Make or Break Your Success.
Thinking Big? Here’s How Scaling Exposes the Flaws in Your Business Idea Read More »
Letting Go Isn’t Always a Sign of Weakness—It’s Often a Sign of Wisdom. Discover How a Day on the River Reminded Me of the Power in Choosing to Move Forward.
When to Let Go: What Rafting Taught Me About Life and Business Read More »
Most people think that to earn more money you have to have an advanced degree. You may think that if you have a Bachelor’s degree, but aren’t making enough money, the answer is to go back to school and get your Master’s degree. Then you’ll earn more money, right? If you already have a Master’s
The Advanced Degree Read More »
Over the past three days, we discussed the first twelve principles to influence a sale from the book, “Rain Making Conversations,” written by Mike Schultz and John Doerr. Today, we will cover the last 4 principles. 13. Scarcity – “Buy it now! Only 2 left!” is a phrase we often hear. Scarcity is the most
Over the past two days, we discussed the first eight principles to influence a sale from the book, “Rain Making Conversations,” written by Mike Schultz and John Doerr. Today, we will cover the next 4 principles: 9. Stepping Stones – People are more interested in things they are familiar with. A good salesman takes the
Yesterday, we discussed the first four principles to influence a sale from the book, “Rain Making Conversations,” written by Mike Schultz and John Doerr. Today, we will cover the next 4 principles. 5. Emotional Journey – As we pointed out in the blog, “Stories to Create a Great First Impression,” a goods salesman is a
Have you ever wanted something so badly that you would do anything to get it? That feeling does not happen overnight; a sales process created that yearning inside you. In their book, “Rainmaking Conversations,” Mike Schultz and John Doerr list 16 ways to make your customers reach that level of desire. Over the next 4
4 Principles to Influence a Sale (Attention, Curiosity, Desire, & Envy) Read More »
Discover Why Ambitious Business Owners Seek Out Those Further Along the Journey and How You Can Do the Same to Elevate Your Mindset and Results.
Why Successful Entrepreneurs Avoid Their Peers (And What You Can Learn From Them) Read More »
Nothing Is More Dangerous Than an Idea When It Is the Only One You Have. Learn Why Smart Entrepreneurs Always Seek a Second Answer and How to Use Tools Like the Business Model Canvas to Explore Better Solutions.
Think Twice: Why Your First Business Idea Might Not Be Your Best Read More »
Creativity Often Emerges When We Remove Things From Their Expected Context. Learn How Shifting Your Perspective Can Lead to Innovation and Surprising Breakthroughs.
Unlocking Creative Genius: The Power of Seeing Things Out of Context Read More »
Jonathan Labed was 14 years old when he realized that there was a hazy line between perception and reality on the internet. It was 1999 and he was watching CNBC. He suddenly realized how after an analyst touted a particular company’s stock, the stock price would rise. Seemed simple enough so Jonathan, an internet savvy
The Raw Power of the Internet Makes Everyone Equal Read More »
Many of us have heard about the Mozart Effect that says that listening to Mozart improves your mathematical ability. Some say it is the rhythm of classical music at 60-70 beats per minute that stirs some primitive reaches of your brain to help you to make more sense of numbers. In reality, studies have shown
Can Music Make You Smarter? Read More »
The next and final environmental forces block is “Macroeconomic Forces.” This section is used to determine if your business model can adjust to macroeconomic shifts. This is where keeping up with current events is important. In addition to watching the world and local news programs each day, I use an internet news aggregator that searches
Macroeconomic Forces and the Business Model Canvas Read More »
The next environmental forces block is “Industry Forces” and this section is used to determine if your business model will have a competitive edge today and tomorrow. To understand industrial forces, you need to assess who your competitors are. A tool called Data Axle Formerly called Reference USA (available at many libraries) is a valuable
Industry Forces and the Business Model Canvas Read More »
The next environmental forces block is related to key trends. The “Key Trends” block is used to evaluate if your Business Model Canvas takes advantage of emerging market trends. Are there any new technologies on the horizon that may undercut your business model? Don’t just look at the advances in your industry that may affect
Key Trends and the Business Model Canvas Read More »
The first environmental forces block is related to the market forces of the customer segments in your Business Model Canvas. The purpose of the “Market Forces” block is to verify that your model is in line with the evolving needs of your chosen customer segment. When you are looking at market forces, you should start
Market Forces and the Business Model Canvas Read More »
When you have completed the 9 blocks of the Business Model Canvas, you may have a well thought out business model. However, will it stand up in the real world? In the real world, your business will compete for market share and fight for survival every day. For the most part, the 9 blocks that
Four Environmental Forces Affecting Your Business Model Canvas Design Read More »
Many Baby Boomer Entrepreneurs Are Exploring Exit Options—But There’s One Strategy Few Consider. Discover How Selling Your Business to Employees Through an ESOP Can Help You Cash Out and Preserve Your Legacy.
The Overlooked Exit Plan: How to Use an ESOP to Sell Your Business and Leave a Legacy Read More »
Facial recognition is something hardwired into everybody and has been honed through millions of years of human evolution as a way to survive. Prehistoric man had to pick out a face of predators from the background or detect if his prey was looking at him while hunting if he was going to survive. The ability
Detecting Facial Clues for Better Sales Read More »
Entrepreneurs by their nature are risk takers. With increased risk comes greater reward potential. However, society, in general, is moving towards less risk and less reward. As a society, we are willing to trade security in the form of Social Security in our old age and Affordable Health Care in exchange for the freedom to
Why We Need an Entrepreneurial Mindset Read More »
Networking events for me are not about selling, but about listening and gathering intelligence. Networking is about making a great first impression, meaning you have to stand out and be memorable. You will be viewed as a great conversationalist at networking events if you resist the urge to sell and get the other person to
How to Make a Good Impression at Network Events Read More »
The federal government killed the Industrial Revolution by squelching successful entrepreneurs such as JP Morgan, JD Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie and spinning a story for its own political gain
How to Stop the American Industrial Revolution Read More »
JP Morgan Was an International Financier and A Titan of Industry Whose History Contains Many Valuable Lessons for Small Business Owners.
More Lessons from the International Financier JP Morgan Read More »
This is part 2 in the series on Andrew Carnegie. For the full text see Valuable Business Lessons from the Steel Baron Andrew Carnegie Knowing that steel would revolutionize the construction industry, Carnegie went to his mentor Thomas Scott to help him raise the capital needed to build his own steel plant. His steel plant
More Lessons from the Steel Baron Andrew Carnegie Read More »
JD Rockefeller Was an Oil Magnate and A Titan of Industry Whose History Contains Many Valuable Lessons for Small Business Owners.
More Lessons from the Oil Magnate JD Rockefeller Read More »
This is part 2 in the series on Cornelius Vanderbilt. For the full text see Valuable Business Lessons From The Shipping Tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt With the emerging Industrial Revolution, Vanderbilt saw that the railroad business was the future and would soon replace much of the ferry business. He began a campaign to take over the
More Lessons from the Railroad Titan Cornelius Vanderbilt Read More »
Many clients I speak to are looking for a home run or flagship clients. Their logic is since it takes the effort to sign up a new customer, why not sign up a few large customers vs. many small customers? However, this is a misguided goal of building a healthy business. Ideally, you would like
Too Much of a Good Thing Read More »
When a business advances from stage 3 to stage 4, the business transformation is nearly complete. During stage 4, company decay can often begin to set in as the administration of the business is placed in the hands of a “guardian.” The primary motives of the business guardian are comfort and security. Unity towards a purpose
Stage 4: The Guardians of Business Read More »
For a business to advance from stage 2 to stage 3, the business undergoes a substantial shift from being on the offensive and growth-oriented to becoming more defensive and focused on process improvement through business segmentation. The business segmentation associated with stage 3 sets up the business for shared leadership and management by creating multiple
Stage 3: The Athletes and Performers of Business Read More »
For a business to advance from stage 1 to stage 2, the business requires that the role of the Oracle be supported or replaced by a business development person. I refer to this new leader as the “General.” In our McDonald’s example from a previous post, it was a guy by the name of Ray
Stage 2: The Generals of Business Read More »
Stage 1 encompasses the pre-start-up and early start-up period of a business. A company is started by a founder who is essentially the idea person behind the business. I refer to this person as the “oracle. In classical antiquity, an Oracle is a person who can see and predict the future. The Oracle of a
Stage 1: The Oracles of Business Read More »
As the federal government grows, it creates incredible drag in the economy. Federal agencies were initially enacted to protect the consumer from bad actors but has expanded its reach to protect the consumer from the consumer. Each time some undesirable event occurs, it creates an imperative to create yet another federal agency. Once created, these
Federal Government Overreach Read More »
There is a lot of information about the personal side of making a good first impression, such as how to dress, a firm handshake, and so on. However, too few people focus on what makes the encounter both memorable and shareable with others. Great stories use mental imagery and associations such as similes, metaphors, and analogies as well as emotional appeals to make them memorable.
How to Use Stories to Create a Great First Impression Read More »
Climate change has been blamed on our overuse of fossil fuels and pegged as the leading cause of the inevitable doom of our species. However, climate change in the form of ice ages and droughts has occurred many times during the period of mankind. Climate change has even led to some of our most important
Climate Change Spurs Innovation Read More »
The other day I went to visit my 4-year-old grandson in Arkansas. Stopping at a toy store, I noticed a brand I was very familiar with from my childhood: Tonka. When I was growing up, Tonka trucks were the gold standard of toy trucks and were made entirely of steel except for the wheels. They
One of the most confusing issues facing many newbie business people is related to the confusion and frustration related to taxes, vocabulary, and acronyms.
Business Confusion About Taxes, Vocabulary, and Acronyms Read More »
People leave the lights and T.V. on in hotel rooms all the time. There are no economic consequences for leaving them on like there are in your house so why not? Hotels sometimes leave messages on a card in the bathroom or on the nightstand to appeal to a person’s desire to be more environmentally
What is Choice Architecture Read More »
The Federal Debt as of Jan 2021 is nearing $28 trillion with another $1,9 trillion stimulus bill being considered. When I wrote this post initially in 2015 the federal debt was about to cross $18 trillion. What does a nearly $30 trillion debt have to do with me? It is not my debt. Someone else
A Strategy to Lower Income Taxes Read More »
The year was 1990. Microsoft just released its first successful version of the Windows Operating System. The TCP/IP protocol went global and the internet was now within reach of users with a personal computer in their home. Prodigy just went public and launched a marketing campaign with a war-chest worth nearly a billion dollars and
A Better Path to the Customer Read More »
Do you constantly search for techniques, tricks, and gimmicks to sell your product or service to your customers? If you are looking for techniques, tricks, and gimmicks, it will most likely not help because people hate to be sold something. However, they do love to buy. While it may seem like simple wordsmithing, the conceptual
The Secret to Better Sales Read More »
The other day I was in the hospital with my mother who had a pacemaker implanted. A very nice elderly woman came into the room and explained that she was a volunteer with the hospital. She wanted to offer my mom a small gift of a butterfly attached to a card with a simple saying.
The Gift of Cooperation Read More »
As I write this post, it’s about 7:00pm and I’m sitting on my back deck with a cocktail in hand, looking across a meadow punctuated with scrub oak clusters. I can see seven pronghorn lazily grazing. It is not mating season, but a large buck is not very happy with the presence of a small
Pronghorn Dogfight – Lessons for Small Business Read More »
Don’t Let Excitement Override Caution When Buying a Business. Discover Why Due Diligence Is Your Most Valuable Tool—and How It Saved One Buyer From Disaster.
Value of Due Diligence Read More »
Most Entrepreneurs Don’t Credit School For Their Success. It’s Focus, Grit, And Learning By Doing That Truly Define The Entrepreneurial Journey.
Forget the Diploma: What Entrepreneurs Really Need to Succeed Read More »
The other day I was asked if a person’s idea would make a good business. Unfortunately, I had to tell them that it would not be a good idea for them to pursue. While the idea might have been a novel and been a successful venture in the right hands, they didn’t have access to
Your Best Chance to Succeed in Small Business Read More »
We all know that schools exist to teach our kids. However, what they teach may not be what you think. The first schools in America were created in New England and primarily taught religion. However, while schools have evolved to teach reading, writing, math, and science, they still teach values to our children. Classrooms have
Public Schools Are Broken Read More »
I have a year and a half-year-old pedigree German Shepherd. He is a pretty good looking male with a great temperament towards people and other dogs. This temperament is rare among many German Shepherds because they are often good with people, but less so with other dogs. A friend and colleague of mine also have
Using Your Peripheral Vision to Spot Opportunities Read More »
Customer relationships can be either; face-to-face (like buying a car), phone (like Zappos), automated system (like Dell), or self-service (like WalMart).
Customer Relationships and Your Business Model Read More »
When we refer to channels in the Business Model Canvas, we are speaking about marketing channels or distribution channels. Here are 5 you should address: 1, Awareness 2, Evaluate 3, Purchase 4, Deliver 5, Customer Support
Channels and Your Business Model Read More »
The second step in creating your Business Model Canvas is to identify your value proposition. What is a value proposition? Simply put, a value proposition is a collection of products and services a business offers to meet the needs of its customers that helps to differentiate it from its competitors. For example, several manufacturers offer
Value Propositions and Your Business Model Read More »
“For whom are you creating value?” Sometimes that answer may be a bit complicated.
Customer Segment and Your Business Model Read More »
The Business Model Canvas is a strategic management and lean start-up template that a business can use when developing new or documenting existing business models. Basically, it is a visual representation that describes the nine critical elements of a firm’s product or service offerings.
The Business Model Canvas Series Read More »
Most People Are Taught To Work Hard And Budget Wisely—But That’s Not How The Wealthy Build Real Wealth. Discover How To Break Free From This Middle-Class Trap.
Why Middle-Class Money Beliefs Keep You Stuck (And How to Break Free) Read More »
It is human nature to avoid activities we do not like, even if they are necessary activities. We indulge in activities we like but know we are not nearly as productive. To overcome this tendency, sometimes we need to incorporate commitment devices to achieve our desired outcomes. While I know I have to make cold
Why You Need to Employ Commitment Devices Read More »
In thick markets, you have a lot of competition and limited differentiation while in thin markets you have limited or no completion based on product or service differentiation.
Thick Market vs. Thin Market – What You Need To Know Read More »
Since today is my 55th birthday I got to thinking about what I accomplished last year and what things I would like to put in place to accomplish in this coming year. I discovered that there are best times to start a new personal commitment to ensure higher success rates? Commitments that begin on dates
The Best Time to Start Something New Read More »
There are four questions that every product or service company needs to ask before it embarks on a new business or product line. 1. Do customers recognize they have a problem?2. If there was a solution to their problem, would they buy it?3. Would they buy it from us?4. Can we build it? When I
Four Questions Before You Start Something New Read More »
A fellow mentor who is an expert in retail once shared with me that opening a shoe store is one of the riskiest businesses to start and operate because there are so many bad assumptions you can make. In a typical main street brick-and-mortar shoe store, you have to select and stock the proper proportions
How to Learn Demand: Zappos Story Read More »
Leap of faith assumptions needs to be identified and tested early on so that the company can make better decisions instead of incurring significant expenses by going down the wrong path. Unfortunately, our government does not subscribe to testing assumptions before spending billions of dollars of taxpayer money. For example, take the main assumption that
Discover Why Employee Job Satisfaction Isn’t Just About Money. Learn How Growth, Autonomy, and Social Connection Play a Bigger Role in Boosting Performance.
The Real Drivers of Job Satisfaction: Growth, Autonomy, and Connection Read More »
Did you know that studies show we are most creative in the first 2-3 hours in the morning? Most people think they need to respond to emails from customers and colleagues at the start of their day. However, by doing so they squander their most creative period of the day to a mundane task. My
Leverage Your Mind and Body Read More »
Sometimes managers get too comfortable with their jobs and build internal walls to control knowledge in the hopes of making them indispensable to the company. The result is the company begins to stagnate. To combat this thinking and spur innovation, Jorma Ollila, CEO of Nokia, implemented a job swap program. Nokia adopted an everyone-out-of-your-comfort-zone management
Never Get Too Comfortable Read More »
William Boeing never said “it can’t be done” Instead he believed that decisions should be based strictly on fact and not opinions
Business Lessons From William Boeing -Facts and Science Rule Read More »
Business Management Is Often Not Focused On The Right Elements Of Success. Sometimes You Have To Suspend Your Belief Systems To Reevaluate Your Business
Is Your Business Focused on the Right Things? Read More »
Want to Strike It Rich? History Shows That Chasing Gold—or the Next Big Startup—Rarely Pays Off. The Real Winners Weren’t the Prospectors, but the Main Street Businesses That Sold Them Tools, Food, and Shelter. Today, the Same Lesson Applies—While High-Risk Startups Get All the Attention, the Smart Money Is in Steady, Reliable Businesses That Support Them
Don’t Be a Gold Digger – Why You Need To Be Main St. Instead Read More »
New business owners often ask me how they can learn more about back-office functions and business costs. The answer I always give them is the same: trade associations. Trade associations exist to share best practices and industry-specific knowledge with their members. Because memberships in a trade association cost money, many startups defer joining them. In
Trade Associations — Why They Matter Read More »
Many studies have been performed that look at the role peer pressure has on our decision making. People desperately want to fit in so much so that they often times will ignore their own opinion just to be part of the crowd. No one likes to be wrong, but it is far more acceptable to be wrong with a crowd than be wrong on your own.
How to Harness Peer Pressure for Effective Marketing Read More »
